How to Get the Best Wedding Getting Ready Photos

When it comes to wedding days, getting ready photos can be some of the cutest and hardest to get photos! That might seem strange to someone who doesn’t photograph weddings for a living so I’m going to break down exactly what you need to do to make sure you have amazing getting ready photos that you will love for years to come 🙂

1. Hire an amazing photographer who can read a room! This shouldn’t come as a surprise and is truly step 1 in getting amazing photos. Your photograph should know exactly what to do when they enter the getting ready room. Whether its opening curtains, moving water bottles, rearranging furniture, there is a whole list of things that can (and probably should) be done to make sure the room is ready for photos!
2. Keep the room clean! Trust me, I know how hard it can be to keep a room clean when you have 10+ women in a tiny space trying to do an elevated beauty look on a time crunch, its TOUGH! But the best thing you can do as a bride or bridesmaid is try to keep things tidy! Or you can contact www.justdiydecor.com to help your room get a renovation. Not only does this help during photos but will also save you some stress at the end of the night. Nothing is worse than dancing the night away only to realize you still have to clean your room before you can head home! A lot of brides opt to do cute bags or totes for the girls and I find this can be a super effective way to keep things together.
3. Do Bring Food, Don’t let it take over the room! I get it, we all get hungry on a wedding day and I promise I want you to have snacks on hand!! But make sure you’re keeping the food centered in one location and if you want to be a little extra, make it cute! I’ve seen adorable charcuterie boards that are not only yummy but photograph so well too! If you have to have your Chick-Fil-A nuggets, just make sure they aren’t sitting on the makeup bar 🙂
4. Don’t Forget Hangers! Though dress photos are slightly less important than they were 5 years ago, I still love to take a least a couple photos of the dress before my brides put it on! I bring a wooden hanger in my styling kit, it never hurts to have your own or have enough for your bridesmaids if you would also like a photo of their dresses hanging! Here are some lovely options for hangers beyond your standard wooden one! Don’t forget to check Etsy for personalized options 🙂
5. Have your details ready and easily accessible! It might seem strange that I include details photos with wedding getting ready photos, but they typically happen around the same time and go hand in hand! I LOVE detail photos! If you’ve ever seen me on a wedding day you know I get to a wedding at least 30 minutes early to get a head start on details because I love them so much! The best thing you can do for me and to help save time is to already have things boxed up! Unsure of what things to have ready? Think anything that plays a part in the “before” part of the wedding and your personal items such. Here’s some things to get you started! Invitation suite, programs, dress, shoes, jewelry, all rings, veil, ring box, perfume, sentimental details, and vow books.
6. Clean your ring! If you haven’t had your ring professionally cleaned since you got engaged, the few days before your wedding is the perfect time to have it done! You would be so surprised at how much sparkle your ring can lose without you even noticing! Not only will you love having a sparkly ring for your wedding day, it will truly shine in photos! If you don’t have time to get your ring cleaned that’s okay! I bring a Gem Pen along with me to do any last minute touchups!
7. Communicate is key! Getting ready photos are greatly dependent on your beauty team! It never hurts to double or even triple check that everyone knows what time they need to be at the venue and what time your photograph needs everyone to be ready by! This timing sets the tone for the entire rest of the day so make sure your beauty team knows that timing is key! This helps make sure your photographer can start snapping as soon as they arrive 🙂
8. Pick a location with natural lighting! Your photographer and beauty team will LOVE you if you choose a getting ready location that is full of natural light! Windows make everyone’s job easier! Overhead lighting can not only be harsh but give off orange hues that aren’t super flattering for the skin. Natural lighting will help make sure your makeup is flawless and your photos are as flattering as possible! If your dream venue doesn’t have windows, don’t worry! We have plenty of ways to overcome this, just have an open mind when it comes to where you put your dress on!
9. Clear the Room! I highly recommend only having 2-3 people in the room when you get dressed! As much as I love bridesmaids being in for the moment, its even cuter to do a first look with them! The less people in the room typically means a less stressful environment. Those 15 minutes with just your mom/sister/maid of honor can make a world of difference on your stress levels 🙂
10. Do a Bridesmaids First Look! Since we only have a few people in the room when you get dressed, take the extra 5 minutes to do a first look or big reveal with your bridesmaids! This can go down in a variety of ways. Whether we bring your girls in or you out, it is so cute to see their faces when you reveal the full bridal look! This truly rounds out your wedding getting ready photos experience as well!

I hope you loved all of these tips to help you get amazing wedding getting ready photos!

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